And That, My Friend, Is What They Call Closure
by Holly Gilmore
Summary: Rory didn’t say anything. She let Lorelai hold her as she cried quietly. He was gone. -- Lit (Formerly 'Ooops! I Did It Again') -- Complete --
1. He Was Gone

A/N: I didn't want to name it after a Britney song, but it fit! It's not a song fic though.

Spoilers: None really, but if any... up to the end of season 3.

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

**August 2003**  
  
  
"You're not taking Colonel Clucker?" Pouted Lorelai, holding the stuffed toy up beside her head.  
  
"Mom, I'm going to Yale, not a slumber party. Somehow, I doubt that Colonel Clucker is Yale material." Rory laughed, putting some more clothes in her suitcase.  
  
"Shhh. I can't believe you'd insult his intelligence in his presence!" Said Lorelai, covering Colonel Clucker's 'ears'.  
  
Jess stepped up onto the Gilmore's porch and sighed. He looked down at the note in his hand and felt ashamed of himself all over again. Every letter he'd written in that note had made him feel that way.  
  
But he didn't know how else to do it. It didn't matter how he said it, it was going to be one of the most painful experiences of his life.  
  
He thought he could at least spare Rory the torment of seeing that.  
  
Jess slipped the note under the front door. Looked at the house and walked away.  
  
Lorelai laughed as she and Rory made their way through the kitchen.  
  
"Good times, good times." She smiled.  
  
"I don't think Taylor would agree." Giggled Rory.  
  
"Well of course not." Smirked Lorelai, as she opened the microwave and took out the popcorn. "They were his melons."  
  
Rory laughed and nodded.  
  
"At least Kirk replaced them." She sighed, grabbing the rest of the junk food from the table.  
  
"Yeah, with Jackson's Melon-Strawberry hybrid!" Laughed Lorelai. "Not quite the same."  
  
"I still don't even want to think about the mating ritual involved there." Said Rory.  
  
"Ugh! Dirty!" Grinned Lorelai as they headed to the living room. "What time is Jess getting here?" She called over her shoulder.  
  
"I don't know." Frowned Rory, looking over at the door and seeing the piece of paper laying in the entrance way. "Did you drop something?"  
  
"Yes, lots of very suggestive hints about coffee flavored frosting." Smiled Lorelai playfully. "Luke didn't pick up on any of them."  
  
"Good!" Cringed Rory, placing her share of the junk food on the table before going over to pick up the piece of paper. "I don't know that me leaving you alone in the house is such a good idea."  
  
"Awww, but I'm a big kid now!" Smiled Lorelai as Rory sat on the edge of the couch and unfolded the note.  
  
Rory recognized Jess's hand writing straight away and smiled. But her smile gradually faded as she read. Tears slowly came to hear eyes and she fought them off for as long as she could, but the more she read the more it sunk in, and eventually she gave in and let a single tear roll down her cheek.  
  
"Rory… what is it?" Asked Lorelai, watching her daughter with a concerned gaze.  
  
"He's gone." Rory cried softly, looking straight ahead. Her expression was distant and pensive. She felt numb.  
  
Lorelai reached out and took the note from Rory and read it briefly. Her mouth slowly fell open.  
  
"Oh… babe. I'm so sorry." She said as she sat beside Rory and hugged her tightly.  
  
Rory didn't say anything. She let Lorelai hold her as she cried quietly.  
  
He was gone.  



	2. Drowning Slowly

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

**December 2008**  
  
Rory lifted the plastic bottle to her lips and relished the feeling of the water against her dry mouth.  
  
"Ror, he's a pig!" Sighed the woman beside her breathlessly.  
  
Rory placed the bottle back in the holder on the treadmill and started to walk a little faster.  
  
"That's no excuse. I've been working there for a year now and he treats my like his little go between." Rory said, her obvious frustration causing her to quicken her pace more.  
  
"Honey, it's what he does." Said the woman, looking over at Rory sympathetically.  
  
"Like I said, it's not an excuse."  
  
"45 minutes. Stick a fork in me, I'm officially done." She said, stopping the treadmill she was on and stepping off of it.  
  
Rory followed her example, picking up a towel and dabbing her arms and neck.  
  
"Glyn, all I've ever wanted to be was a journalist, not the coffee girl!" Said Rory, her expression showed how disheartened she was feeling. "Maybe I should try a different news paper."  
  
"You quit and I'll kill you. You're the only thing keeping me sane!" Smiled Glyn, putting her arm around Rory and guiding her over to the locker room.  
  
"How did you graduate from office skirt status?" Asked Rory.  
  
"I stuck it out and, when I got the opportunity, I proved my worth." Said Glyn. "You'll get your opportunity."  
  
They showered quickly, changed back into their work clothes and then left the building.  
  
Rory paid the street vendor for their coffee's and handed Glyn a cup.  
  
"How does he get away with treating people like dirt." Asked Rory as they carried on walking down the street. Glyn rolled her eyes.  
  
"Because he's an ass, and he's good at covering it." She said. "He only promotes the guys, and when someone makes a big deal about it, he promotes a woman too. But only the ones who he knows want kids. That way, when they go on maternity leave, he can replace them." She said.  
  
"That's discrimination." Said Rory in disgust.  
  
"That's our boss." Said Glyn, too used to the way things were to complain anymore.  
  
They reached the subway station and stopped.  
  
"This is me." Sighed Rory.  
  
"Sweetie, you really need to move up in the world. I know you don't make much, but I know you make enough to move out of that little shoe box you got in Brooklyn." She said disapprovingly.  
  
"I like it." Smiled Rory, eager to be back in her apartment.  
  
"That's because of that small town mentality of yours." Glyn smirked, shaking her head.  
  
"I like that too." Rory grinned proudly.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow." Glyn said, hugging Rory quickly and walking away.  
  
Rory did what she did everyday. She got on the train and sat with her forehead resting on the cool glass of the window. Watching the world go by. Some days she couldn't get a seat by the window, and she'd find herself sitting next to a stranger, wondering what they were thinking. No one seemed to enjoy the train ride the way she did though.  
  
She walked down the street towards her apartment building. She smiled when she saw one of her neighbours approaching.  
  
"Hey Rory!" He smiled.  
  
"Hey Mike, how'd your dinner party go last Tuesday?" She smiled back, stopping to give him her full attention.  
  
"Ugh, dreadful. Did you know that Will was sleeping with Liza?" He said scandalously, referring to two of the other tenants from their building.  
  
"No!" She gasped.  
  
"Well you do now, but you didn't hear it from me!" He grinned. "I gotta, go. Blind date!" He said.  
  
"I'm gonna' want to hear about that!" She smiled.  
  
"Of course! I'll probably see you tomorrow morning. I got roped into one of those early morning jogging things with Carlos." He rolled his eyes.  
  
"You? Jogging? I think I'd pay to see that." She smiled playfully.  
  
"Me too." He laughed, touching her on the arm briefly as he carried on past her. "Later?" He called back to her.  
  
"Later." She called back happily.  
  
She carried on up the steps to the main door and pulled out her keys.  
  
She couldn't wait to draw a hot bath and wallow in it for the rest of the evening, preferably with a good book.  
  
Her apartment was on the second floor. It was small, but she loved it. And Lorelai had given it her seal of approval also. She'd given Rory their monkey lamp as a house warming present. Emily had disapproved of course, but in the end she reluctantly accepted that Rory was going to live there and insisted on replacing her second hand furniture.  
  
She opened the door to her apartment and smiled, closing her eyes. It was as if her apartment contained some kind of comforting glow that she could bask in for a moment. It was especially nice after dealing with her boss all day.  
  
"Hey, you're home!" Came a familiar voice from the kitchen.  
  
"Adam?" She frowned, closing the door and stepping further into the apartment.  
  
He came out of the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
"Surprise!" He smiled proudly at that candle lit dinner he had arranged.  
  
"You cooked?" She smiled. "That really is a surprise."  
  
"No… I didn't cook." He said. "You know me."  
  
"I know you. I also know we're having take out."  
  
"Yes, but take out from the best Chinese restaurant in New York. Which makes up for it." He said, picking up a bottle of Champaign and opening it.  
  
"Special occasion?" She frowned, taking off her coat and letting her hair down.  
  
"Maybe." He grinned. "We'll see." He filled two glasses and handed one to her.  
  
"You're up to something. I can smell it." She said, narrowing her eyes at him.  
  
"That's the sweet and sour pork." He said, trying to avoid her suspicious looks. "Drink up."  
  
She shrugged and did as he asked. If she wasn't going to get her quiet evening in the bath she was going to enjoy her romantic evening with her boyfriend.  
  
She scrunched her face up and pulled the glass away from her lips. She opened her mouth and pulled a diamond ring off of her tongue.  
  
"What's this?" She asked.  
  
"That's the special occasion. Or at least, I'm hoping it is." He said, watching as she studied the ring in awe.  
  
"Adam… it's really beautiful…" She started, shaking her head in disbelief.  
  
"No, wait. I haven't done my speech yet." He said, getting down on one knee and taking her left hand in his.  
  
"Adam…" She sighed, blushing slightly.  
  
"Rory Gilmore, I… have never met anyone like you. You're smart and funny and beautiful. And I love you. And I know this is a little sudden, but I know that what I feel for you is going to last. That's why I would be honored if you would agree to marry me." He said sincerely.  
  
She looked down at him and couldn't help thinking how funny he looked, kneeling on the floor of her Brooklyn apartment in his Armani suit.  
  
"I…" She looked around her, hoping something would offer her the answer she knew she was required to give. She looked into his eyes, they were pleading with her. "Yes." She smiled slightly.  
  
He got up quickly and kissed her. They hugged and she closed her eyes.  
  
Her relationship with Adam was much like her relationship with Dean. It was safe and predictable. His kisses were reassuring and his hugs were strong and protective. She cared about him a lot. And maybe that was all she really needed. One bad boy had been enough for her. She didn't know if it was because he was bad or because she loved him so much, but Jess had broken her heart in a big way. And she wasn't looking to let that happen again.  
  



	3. What Matters is the Heart

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

**March 2009**  
  
Adam and Rory stepped out of the limo and onto the Gilmore's front lawn.  
  
"So… this is where you used to live?" He smiled slightly.  
  
"Yeah." She said, looking around her and taking it all in.  
  
She hadn't wanted to take the limo to Stars Hollow, but Adam had insisted they make a big entrance. She would have been happier taking the bus.  
  
"Are we just going to stand here all day or …" He was interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. He pulled it out of his jacket and turned away from Rory.  
  
She smiled slightly and watched him for a moment. They had met just outside the building she worked in. He had been talking on his cell and walked right into her. At first she thought he was an obnoxious idiot. He sent her flowers to apologize. He'd been smitten from the first minute.  
  
She had eventually agreed to go out with him and they had been dating ever since. That was almost a year ago.  
  
"Rory!"  
  
Rory looked up at the sound of her name being called. A large grin spread across her face when she saw her mother.  
  
"Mom!" She called back, running across the yard to meet her.  
  
They hugged for a moment and then Lorelai pulled back to look at Rory.  
  
"You cut your hair." She smiled.  
  
"Yes I did."  
  
"It looks good." Lorelai nodded in approval.  
  
Adam started shouting into his phone, causing them both to look over.  
  
"So, that's the lucky guy, huh?" Laughed Lorelai.  
  
Rory blushed.  
  
"Yeah. Don't mind him… he does that a lot. He works for his dad, he's being prepared to 'take over' some day." She said, shaking her head.  
  
"Did you tell him that he won't last 10 minutes around here wearing that suit?"  
  
"Yes. But he likes suits." Smiled Rory.  
  
"Hey Rory." Luke said, stepping out onto the porch.  
  
"Hey Luke." She beamed back at him.  
  
Lorelai and Luke had been married for 3 years. They'd finally gotten together just after she moved away to Yale. And they were married just under 2 years later.  
  
"Hey Rea Rea."  
  
Rory walked over and kissed her little sister on the forehead. Luke adjusted how he was holding her so she could see Rory better.  
  
"She got big." Mused Rory.  
  
"She did." Nodded Luke. "She has the same appetite as your mother."  
  
"Poor thing." Laughed Rory.  
  
"Hey, I heard that." Said Lorelai, finally bringing an end to her silent study of Rory's fiancé.  
  
Adam finished his conversation and put his cell phone away.  
  
"Sorry about that." He sighed, walking over to join them. "I'm going to have to stop working so hard. Apparently the company falls apart when I'm not within a 10 mile radius." He rolled his eyes.  
  
"Must be nice to be loved." Smiled Lorelai, offering her hand to Adam. "I'm Lorelai. Mother-in-law to be I guess."  
  
"Hi, Adam Hamilton." He said, taking her hand and shaking it briefly.  
  
"Nice to meet you. This is Luke… he has his hands full right now, but I'm sure he'd shake your hand if he didn't." Said Lorelai, glaring at Luke briefly. She got the feeling he wasn't going to be fond of Adam.  
  
"Nice to meet you Luke. Rory's talked about you both a lot." He nodded. "And I'm guessing this is Rhiannon?" He asked, holding his index finger out to Rhiannon who grabbed it with her whole hand and shook it.  
  
"Yeah, our little bundle of joy." Said Luke. Rhiannon made a high pitched squealing noise.  
  
"She's cute." Laughed Adam.  
  
"She's vocal. I'm sure you'll get to hear her full range while you're here." Lorelai grinned, stroking Rhiannon's cheek with the back of her index finger.  
  
They turned and headed inside.  
  
"So, Adam, what kind of business are you in?" Asked Lorelai as she led them into the living room and cleared some of Rhiannon's toys off of the couch.  
  
"Insurance." He smiled, straightening his tie.  
  
"Oh gosh, my father is going to love you then." Said Lorelai, already imagining sitting through hours of boring insurance talk.  
  
"Rory's told me all about him. I can't wait to meet everyone." He said enthusiastically, taking Rory's hand in his.  
  
"That's great. Luke, you entertain our guest. Rory, come help mommy make drinks."  
  
"Lorelai…" Luke protested.  
  
"Be nice." She mouthed at him as she dragged Rory into the kitchen.  
  
Luke and Adam sat and looked at each other in silence. Adam didn't know what to say to Luke and Luke had already made up his mind that he had nothing to say to Adam.  
  
"So…" Said Lorelai, pulling some glasses out of the cupboard.  
  
"What? Don't you like him?" Asked Rory, closing the fridge and placing the apple juice on the counter.  
  
"It's not that honey. He's just… not the kind of guy I pictured you with." She sighed. "I don't want him to stifle you."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Laughed Rory.  
  
"Well… he's a lot like your grand father."  
  
"Because he works in insurance?" Frowned Rory.  
  
"No. Just… his whole demeanor. It seems very familiar." She sighed. "And… you're more of a free spirit than my mother was. I don't want you to end up being anything less than what you want to be." Said Lorelai gently.  
  
"You think I'm going to end up like Grandma?" Smiled Rory, pouring the juice into the glasses.  
  
"God, I hope not." She laughed. "Just… make sure you're sure."  
  
"I'm as sure as I'm going to get in the next 7 days mom."  
  
"Wow… that's so weird. You're getting married in a week." Said Lorelai, looking at Rory and shaking her head.  
  
"I know. Adam wanted it to be as soon as possible. So I agreed on the condition that we could have the wedding here. In Stars Hollow."  
  
Lorelai nodded and watched Rory put the juice back in the fridge. She was worried that Adam wasn't right for Rory. She had nothing against him, he seemed very nice. But something about him grated on her. Something about he and Rory didn't fit. Didn't belong.  
  
She sighed and picked up two of the glasses, following Rory back into the living room.  
  
  



	4. Turn to Me With Frozen Lips

A/N: Someone asked what Adam looked like and how old they are at this point. Well, Adam is tall, blond... Um.. kinda' Dawson from Dawson's Creek, only cuter. hehe. And at this point in the story Rory has just turned 24. Jess is nearer to 25 and Adam is 26.

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Rory followed Adam down the stairs at the Inn. He was talking on his cell phone again.  
  
"I can't believe you're going." She sighed, handing him his jacket.  
  
He covered the phone with his hand.  
  
"I know, but I promise I'll be back on Thursday with my parents." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek before going back to his conversation.  
  
Rory shuddered at the thought of her in-laws.  
  
"Morning!" Sookie called from the front desk.  
  
"Hey Sookie!" Rory waved and headed over.  
  
"Oooh, look at you, all grown up!" Gushed Sookie.  
  
"Sookie, you saw me at Thanksgiving!" Laughed Rory.  
  
"I know, but you're always going to be the little Rory that used to help me make cookies." She sighed. "So, I take it that the chunk of hunk in the suit is 'the one'." She giggled.  
  
"Yeah." Smiled Rory, looking back over at Adam. "That's him."  
  
"Well, I just want you to know that the cake is going to be … stunning. And you don't need to worry one bit about the entrée's because I have it all under control!"  
  
"Good to know." Nodded Rory gratefully.  
  
A loud crash came from the kitchen.  
  
"Stand back, Head Chef coming through!" Yelled Sookie, charging towards the kitchen door.  
  
Rory laughed and watched her. It was good to be home, and good to know some things were never going to change.  
She looked around the Inn. It reminded her of the Independence Inn, but it definitely had more of Sookie and Lorelai's flare to it. They'd been in business for 6 months, and so far everything was going well.  
  
"Hey, where's hubby going?" Frowned Lorelai, coming over to the front desk and placing some binders on it.  
  
"New York." Sighed Rory. "Business."  
  
"Ick. How long is he going for?" She asked, opening one of the binders and flipping through the pages.  
  
"He said he'd be back in a few days."  
  
"Not so bad then. Gives you and me girly time." Giggled Lorelai, putting her arm around Rory. "And we can plan the wedding more the way you want it. No silly men to interrupt us."  
  
"What about Luke." Smiled Rory.  
  
"Well, he's kinda' busy with…"  
  
Another loud noise came from the kitchen. Followed by some shouting.  
  
"Sookie, I told you to get rid of those pot holders!" Shouted Lorelai. "Stay there, I'll be right back!" She smiled at Rory, hurrying off to the kitchen.  
  
"Ok, well… I have to get going." Sighed Adam.  
  
"Alright. I'll see you in a few days." Said Rory, hugging him.  
  
"Definitely. I hope everything goes ok with your dress and all that… bride stuff." He smiled and kissed her lightly.  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Love you." He smiled softly and kissed her again quickly before heading towards the door.  
  
"Love you too." She sighed, watching him go.  
  
She looked around her again and took a deep breath.  
  
"Mom! I'm going to go for a walk!" She called towards the kitchen.  
  
"No… Rory…"  
  
There was another loud bang and one of the waiters came tumbling through the kitchen door.  
  
Rory smiled and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Bye!" She laughed, opening the door and leaving.  
  
Stars Hollow hadn't changed. Everything was still the way it had been since she moved away. It was strange, but comforting to know that there was always a place for her there. Always something in her life that would be constant and ageless.  
  
She waved at people she knew and stood outside Miss Patty's for a while, watching the ballerina's. Her gaze wandered over to the Gazebo and a wave of sadness hit her.  
  
She sighed and closed her eyes, but she could still see it.  
  
_"I can't catch my breath!" She smiled.  
  
"You're not supposed to." Grinned Jess, his breath was warm against her cold cheek._  
  
Rory brought herself back to the present and shook the thoughts out of her head.  
  
"Rory, honey!"  
  
Rory looked up at Miss Patty.  
  
"Hey Patty." She smiled.  
  
"I got your wedding invitation. It was gorgeous. I'll definitely be there." She said, flinging the end of her scarf back over her shoulder.  
  
"Great." Smiled Rory, glad she had a distraction.  
  
"I'll catch up with you later, I have to get back to my class." She smiled.  
  
"Ok, I'll probably see you later this week." Nodded Rory.  
  
She carried on walking down the street, listening to the sound of the snow crunching under her feet. It wasn't common for Stars Hollow to have snow in March, but it certainly wasn't unheard of.  
  
She looked up just in time to see the shoulder of the person walking into her.  
  
Rory instinctively put her hands out to grab onto something and hold herself up. One hand grabbed on to a fence post and the other caught the arm of the person who had almost knocked her over. She felt their hands on her arm, helping her right herself.  
  
"Thanks." She laughed, turning to face them.  
  
"No probl..."  
  
Her breath caught in her throat and her mouth seemed frozen, unable to form any words or sounds.  
  
"Jess." She whispered finally.  
  
  
  



	5. I Hear You're Doing Fine

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

He stared at her for a moment, taking in everything about her, the small differences in her appearance. There weren't many.  
  
"Hey." He said quietly. He felt like he had no right to be in her presence.  
  
She nodded. 'Hey' seemed like a stupid thing to say in response, but she couldn't think of any other words.  
  
"I… didn't know you were back." She said, not looking at him, scared that if she did, he wouldn't really be there.  
  
"I only got back a few weeks ago."  
  
She nodded again. It all felt so meaningless.  
  
"So… California didn't work out?" She asked, looking at her feet.  
  
"Uh… Kinda." He laughed softly and ran his hand through his hair. "I found my dad. And … I spent some time with him. But… He sorta' bailed, again."  
  
"That's too bad."  
  
Jess shrugged.  
  
"Not a complete loss. I had a father. He left. I found him… he left. Lesson learned."  
  
She looked at him finally. She didn't know what to feel. She thought she should be angry with him. But part of her was glad to see him. She felt lost.  
  
"So… you live here now?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah. I'm looking for my own place. Luke's letting me stay in the apartment over the Diner until I do."  
  
"Nice of him."  
  
"Yeah." He nodded.  
  
There was a long silence. Neither of them wanted to bring up the fact that she was getting married. Neither of them knew what else to say. But neither of them wanted to be the first to walk away.  
  
"I'm guessing you hate me." He said.  
  
"For what?" She shrugged.  
  
"For leaving. Or… for the way I left."  
  
"Both." She said, no emotion in her voice.  
  
"Thought as much."  
  
"And I don't hate you. I never hated you." She sighed.  
  
"I should have known that. You were always a bigger person than me."  
  
"No. I just… didn't know how to hate you." She tucked some hair behind her ear.  
  
They both looked at anything but eachother.  
  
"I'm just going to… go." She said, turning and walking away.  
  
Jess stood and watched her for a moment. He wanted to go after her but he couldn't make his feet move.  
  
"Rory! Wait!" He shouted.  
  
She stopped and took a deep breath.  
  
"What?" She asked, turning to face him.  
  
"Do you want to get some coffee?"  
  
She looked down at her hands for a moment and then back up at him. He hadn't changed either. He looked the same. Same hair. Same smile. He stood their with his hands in his coat pockets, just like he always did.  
  
"Ok." She nodded slightly, walking back over to him.  
  
They headed towards the diner but when they reached the door she kept going.  
  
"I thought we were getting a coffee." He frowned.  
  
"We are."  
  
"You want to go to Fran's?" He asked stepping back onto the sidewalk and catching up to her.  
  
"No." She said, heading for home.  
  
She unlocked the front door and waited for Jess to step inside. He looked around.  
  
"No one's home." She said, walking in to the kitchen.  
  
"I can see that. Any reason we're here and not at Luke's?" He asked, taking off his jacket and sitting at the kitchen table.  
  
"Because I can't talk to you in a diner full of people. Especially when half of them will want to come over and say hi." She sighed, starting to make some coffee.  
  
"Good point." He smiled slightly, looking down at the table. "So… what have you been up to since…?" He stopped.  
  
"Since 2003?" She offered, sitting next to him. He nodded. "I went to Yale."  
  
"How was it?"  
  
"It was… Yale." She nodded slowly and then both laughed softly. "It was a new experience. I had fun. It was a lot of work. But I enjoyed it."  
  
"Good." He smiled.  
  
"Yeah. Then I moved to New York and got a job at the Post."  
  
"Wow. You're a journalist?" He asked.  
  
"Nope." She said, shaking her head and sighing. "I'm whatever my boss needs me to be. Secretary, coffee girl, mail girl… office supply manager…"  
  
"How did that happen?" He frowned.  
  
"I picked the wrong newspaper." She said. "How about you?"  
  
"Me…" He looked down at the table again. "I went to Venice beach to find my dad. I found him… we did some great father/son bonding for about 18 months. And then he left town."  
  
"Bummer." She sighed.  
  
"Yeah. So… I stayed there for a while. I had a job I really liked so I thought I may as well stick around. But then the guy I was working for went bankrupt and I lost my job." He said sadly. "So I picked up and moved to San Francisco."  
  
"How was it?" She smiled softly.  
  
"Sucked." He laughed. "The city is pretty cool. But it just didn't work out."  
  
"So you moved back here?"  
  
"Yeah." He nodded.  
  
They sat in silence for a while until the coffee maker ran out of water and started to make gurgling sounds.  
  
"Coffee's ready." She said, getting up.  
  
"I was going to call you." He said.  
  
Rory stopped pouring the coffee, she gripped the kitchen counter with her free hand and closed her eyes. She didn't know if she was ready for this conversation.  
  
"Just after you started Yale. I called and got your number there. But… I couldn't call you. I felt like I was intruding." He said. "Like I didn't have any right to contact you."  
  
She took in what he'd said and thought about it for a minute.  
  
"You could have called." She said finally, pouring the second cup of coffee and placing them on the table.  
  
"I just thought that… if you ever wanted to speak to me again… then you'd call me."  
  
"I did." She nodded and traced the rim of her cup.  
  
"When?" He frowned.  
  
Rory cleared her throat and sat up straight.  
  
"Hello, is this the Beverly Hills Hotel?" She said. He looked thoughtful.  
  
"That was you?" He laughed.  
  
"I'm sorry, I have the wrong number." She continued and then smiled at him.  
  
"Oh my god… why didn't you say something!" He said.  
  
"I don't know. I heard your voice and I freaked out." She blushed.  
  
They both laughed a little and looked at each other.  
  
"This is weird." She sighed.  
  
"I know."  
  
"I feel like… you never left." She shook her head slightly and frowned.  
  
"Me too." He looked up at her after a moment and smiled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You cut you hair." He said softly.  
  
"Several times."  
  
"You look good." He nodded.  
  
"So I've been told." She said. "I don't think it looks too much different from before."  
  
"It doesn't." He said, staring into his coffee. "You look almost exactly the way you did when…" He stopped and breathed in slowly. "You look good." He said again, looking her in the eyes.  
  
"You too." She smiled slightly and sipped her coffee.  
  
  
  
  



	6. A Fine Line Divides

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

"Keys!" Said Lorelai, finishing the last of the coffee in her cup. Luke placed her house keys in her hand. "Kiss!" She said, leaning in and waiting for Luke to kiss her.  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked.  
  
"Nope." She said.  
  
"You are."  
  
"Then tell me what it is!" She sighed.  
  
"My bread delivery guy comes on Tuesdays." He said.  
  
"Congratulations. Can I have a kiss now?"  
  
"I can't take Rhiannon to day care today!" He sighed handing Rhiannon to Lorelai.  
  
"Me either, I have to get to the Inn!" She said.  
  
"I can take her." Said Rory casually, coming out of her old bedroom and taking Rhiannon from Lorelai.  
  
"Ah, angel of mine!" Said Lorelai thankfully, kissing Rhiannon and then Rory. "The car keys are where they always are." She said.  
  
"Have a good day." Said Luke, kissing her.  
  
"Love you all!" Lorelai called over her shoulder, making loud kissing noises as she left.  
  
"I gotta' get going too." Said Luke, picking up his jacket. "Oh… that bridal shop in Hartford called and said that you can pick up your dress any time you're ready." He said, opening the back door.  
  
"Thanks!" She called as he left.  
  
She sighed and looked around at the mess that had become breakfast in the Gilmore house.  
  
"I see you prefer to decorate with you food rather than eat it?" She smiled at Rhiannon who grinned back at her. "Great job by the way. I love the jam accents around the door frame."  
  
She loved how Rhiannon seemed to listen even though she didn't understand a word she was saying.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Come in." She called, making her way there with Rhiannon in her arms.  
  
Jess stepped into the entrance way and smiled at them.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hi… I wasn't expecting to see you." She said, letting go of Rhiannon with on hand so she could brush some hair from her face.  
  
"Yeah… I kind of… wandered over." He smiled. "I thought maybe we could talk?"  
  
"Um… I have to go to take Rea to day care and then go to Hartford." She said.  
  
"Mind if I tag along?" He asked.  
  
"It's going to be boring." She laughed softly.  
  
"No more boring than my full day of sitting around doing nothing." He said.  
  
"Ok well… I have to get my things so…" She handed Rhiannon to him. "Hold the baby." She said.  
  
Jess held Rhiannon at arms length and frowned at her while Rory sat on the stairs and pulled her shoes on.  
  
"Kick the baby?" He smiled.  
  
"Don't kick the baby!" Rory laughed.  
  
"Kick the baby." He winked at her.  
  
"You haven't matured in the slightest have you?" She teased as she picked up her coat and purse.  
  
"I like to think I have." He said, handing Rhiannon back to her.  
  
"Thinking? Now there's an improvement."  
  
"You got meaner!" He laughed, closing the front door behind them as they left.  
  
  
They dropped Rhiannon off at daycare and drove out to Hartford.  
  
"So… what's in Hartford?" He asked.  
  
She hesitated for a minute and then answered.  
  
"I have to pick up my wedding dress."  
  
He nodded and looked at her briefly. She looked as uncomfortable as he felt.  
  
"Who's the lucky guy?"  
  
"His name's Adam." She said, shifting in her seat.  
  
"Adam. Good strong biblical name." He nodded.  
  
"Are you mocking." She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Not at all. It was just an observation. So, does Adam have a last name?"  
  
"Hamilton." She said, waiting for his response.  
  
"Rory Hamilton. Sounds like you're going to be rich." He smiled.  
  
"Pretty much." She laughed. "His family is… more than comfortable. Let's leave it at that."  
  
"Did you meet him at Yale?"  
  
"Nope. I met him in New York outside the building I work in." She smiled softly. "He was on his cell phone and he mowed me down."  
  
"What a charmer."  
  
"Now you're mocking." She smiled.  
  
"Maybe just a little bit." He nodded. "So, where are you going to live once you're married?"  
  
"I don't know. We haven't really talked about it." She shrugged.  
  
"Where do you live now?"  
  
"I have an apartment in Brooklyn." She grinned happily.  
  
"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. "I'm impressed. I had you down as more of a Manhattan girl."  
  
"Yeah. Adam too. He hates my apartment." She laughed and shook her head. "He has this great place with an amazing view. But it's a real bachelor pad. All chrome and black." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"I'm sure you can convince him to redecorate. Lots of pastels and stenciling." He said playfully.  
  
"Oh yeah, and frilly curtains, because that's so me!" She laughed.  
  
Rory pulled the car into a parking spot on the street outside the bridal store.  
  
"Do you want to wait here?" She asked.  
  
"Nah, I'll come in." He said, opening his door and getting out.  
  
"It's going to be all girly and you'll be totally bored."  
  
"I'll survive. I have a very feminine side!" He smiled convincingly.  
  
"Oh yeah?" She raised an eyebrow at him as he opened the door to the shop for her.  
  
"Yeah. I love flowers." He smiled and she hit him with her purse playfully. "And you should see me crochet! I'm like a pro. If crocheting were an Olympic sport I would get gold every time!" He continued and she started laughing.  
  
"Shhhh." She said as people in the shop started looking at them strangely.  
  
Jess looked around the store and suddenly felt very out of place. It was very pink and pretty. Classical music played lightly in the background while a few women stood around admiring dresses in mirrors or having their dress altered by the store assistants.  
  
"Can I help you?" One of the employee's asked Rory.  
  
"Yes. I'm here to pick up my wedding dress. My name is Rory Gilmore." She said politely as they walked over to the counter.  
  
The woman pulled a dress off of the rack and looked at the tag.  
  
"Here we go. Would you like to try it on and make sure it fits?" She offered.  
  
"Um…" Rory bit her lip and looked at Jess briefly.  
  
"She'd love to." Jess smiled giving Rory a little shove towards the dressing rooms.  
  
She scrunched her face up at him playfully and followed the lady over to one of the rooms. She took her dress and closed the door. Jess sat on one of the uncomfortable looking stools and waited.  
  
"Let me know when you need help." Said the assistant, waiting outside the door.  
  
After a moment, Rory opened the door a little.  
  
"I need help." She laughed and the assistant stepped inside.  
  
Jess waited a little longer and when the door opened again he looked up, but it was only the shop assistant coming out again.  
  
"There are no mirrors in here." He heard Rory say a few minutes later. He smiled.  
  
"Then you'll just have to come out here like everyone else."  
  
"No… I can't." She said. It was as if he could almost hear her blushing.  
  
"Yes you can." He persisted.  
  
"No she can't. You can't see the dress before the big day." Smiled the shop assistant.  
  
"Oh I'm… we're not…." Jess laughed and looked over at the dressing rooms. "I'm just… a friend."  
  
"Oh… well in that case…" The shop assistant walked over to Rory's dressing room. "Come on out Miss Gilmore." She smiled.  
  
The door slowly opened and Rory stepped out. Jess didn't know why, but he felt compelled to stand up.  
  
He watched her walk slowly over to the mirrors.  
  
"How does it feel?" Asked the assistant, fussing with the skirt.  
  
"Good. It's perfect." Smiled Rory.  
  
"Just to make sure we have this right… This is a Jessica Mcclintock satin two piece with an A-line skirt and a corset top?" She smiled.  
  
"Sounds right to me." Laughed Rory, turning too look at the dress at different angles.  
  
She turned around and looked at Jess.  
  
"What do you think?" She asked hesitantly.  
  
He swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"I'm a guy… my opinion doesn't matter." He laughed uncertainly.  
  
"It matters to me." She said. "Come on, I need to know that I don't look stupid." She laughed softly.  
  
"You… definitely don't have to worry about that." He nodded.  
  
"Ok…" She frowned at him looking for more reassurance than that.  
  
"You look…" He swallowed again and took a deep breath. "You look amazing."  
  
"Thank You." She smiled at him. "I should probably get out of the dress before I manage to tear a big hole in the skirt." She said to the shop assistant.  
  
"Ok, do you need some help with the top?" She asked.  
  
"Please." Smiled Rory as they headed back to the dressing rooms.  
  
"I'm going to… wait outside." Said Jess quietly.  
  
Jess waited until she was in the dressing room and then hurried out onto the street.  
He rested his back against the side of the building and closed his eyes. He felt like screaming or hitting something but he managed to suppress it.  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Now and Then

A/N: Once again, for anyone who bothers to read these notes, this is NOT, I repeat NOT, based on the Britney song it is named after! The name just fit and you'll see why... one day!

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Jess pushed the shopping cart down the supermarket aisle. His arms were folded across it, it was almost as if it was propping him up.  
  
"And I was all like… 'Hey you! This is my cab!' And he was like.. 'Come and get it then!' So I did. I pushed him out of the way and got in it!" Rory grinned, throwing some boxes of microwave popcorn into the cart.  
  
"But only in your head, right?" He smiled knowingly at her.  
  
"Yeah." She sighed. "But… I almost said it out loud."  
  
"I'm sure you did." He nodded, grabbing a bag of potato chips and adding them to the cart.  
  
They carried on walking down the aisle in silence.  
  
"Oooh, cookies!" Squealed Rory, grabbing some and putting them in the cart.  
  
"You say that as if cookies are the answer to world peace." He chuckled.  
  
"You never know." She shrugged. "I doubt anyone's tried it."  
  
"True."  
  
She laughed softly and he looked at her, wondering what she was thinking.  
  
"Remember the time I got a craving for Milano cookies." She smiled at him.  
  
"Yeah, and Taylor refused to sell them because he thought they had something to do with Alyssa Milano." Laughed Jess.  
  
"Yeah, and he didn't want to be associated with bare cleavage."  
  
"So I had to drive you out here in the middle of the night to buy some." He nodded.  
  
"And by the time we got here, I was all hyped up on jelly beans." She giggled. "And I couldn't stop laughing..."  
  
"…So much so that you couldn't stand up properly." He smiled, remembering  
  
"So you had to carry me around the store on your back."  
  
"Yes. And you insisted on quoting Austin Powers." He said, shaking his head.  
  
"I did?" She blushed.  
  
"Yes. The whole store was treated to your impersonation of Fat Bastard singing 'I Want My Baby Back Ribs'."  
  
"You're kidding!" She laughed, covering her face.  
  
"I can't believe you don't remember that! We were in the frozen foods aisle. And you'd just finished telling me how much carrots disliked being frozen. Especially when they had to sit across the aisle from the Lean Cuisines." He smiled.  
  
"Oh my god… and I made the hot pockets insult the toaster strudels." She cringed.  
  
"Yes! See… it's all coming back now." He laughed, finding her embarrassment funny.  
  
"It's like a bad hang over." She groaned. "Remembering all the hideous things you did the night before."  
  
"Not everything was hideous." He said. She looked at him and shook her head slightly.  
  
"No. Not everything."  
  
They finished grocery shopping in silence and made their way to the front of the store to pay.  
  
"How is it you remember all that." She sighed, looking at him as he pushed the cart over to the checkout.  
  
Jess shrugged and started placing food on the conveyor belt. She smiled at him slightly and decided to let it go.  
  
"What else do you remember?" She asked softly as they drove home.  
  
He looked over at her and then looked back at the road.  
  
"Uh…" He sighed. "I remember the time you had your name written on a grain of rice." He smiled.  
  
"And I dropped it." She giggled.  
  
"Yes." He nodded and smiled more. "I remember… when we went to the beach together after you graduated from Chilton. And you were too shy to come out from under your towel."  
  
"It was the first time you'd seen me with so few clothes on." She said defensively.  
  
"It was cute." He laughed. "How about you? What do you remember?"  
  
"I remember when we went camping." She said thoughtfully. "And you made us late, so we had to put the tent up in the dark." She said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"And you forgot the foot pump so we spent an hour trying to blow up the air bed by mouth." He said accusingly.  
  
"It was funny!" She laughed.  
  
"I admit, it was kinda' amusing." He nodded.  
  
"Ah, you're playing it down. You thought it was hysterical." She said, hitting him on the arm playfully.  
  
"You were useless. It was like… on the count of three, instead of blowing up the mattress you would just collapse in fits of laughter!" He said.  
  
"It was funny." She repeated and he nodded.  
  
They passed the sign welcoming them to Stars Hollow and they both fell silent.  
  
Rory pulled the jeep over at Luke's and looked at Jess.  
  
"So… thanks for keeping me company today." She smiled.  
  
"Thanks for keeping me boredom free today." He replied, turning to face her.  
  
"It was nice. Catching up and everything."  
  
"Yeah." He agreed.  
  
"I guess… I'll see you around?" She asked.  
  
"Hopefully." He nodded, opening his door and getting out.  
  
"Goodnight, Jess." She smiled slightly.  
  
"Night Rory."  
  
She pulled away from the sidewalk and he watched her drive away.  
  
He looked down at the floor and sighed. He wondered what would have happened between them if he'd stayed in Stars Hollow. He wondered if he would have been to one she was about to marry. Mostly, he wondered if she was thinking the same thing.  
  
Rory pulled into the Gilmore's makeshift drive way and shut off the engine. She folded her arms across the steering wheel and rested her chin on them.  
  
She had been thinking the same things as Jess. But she refused to let herself contemplate what might have been. She and Jess had their time together. They had been happy.  
  
But he'd left her.  
  
He was back now, and there were still unresolved feelings between them. Still butterflies in her stomach when he smiled at her. He'd always had that affect on her. It didn't mean anything.  
  
He was too late.  
  
She got out of the car and gathered up the bags of groceries.  
  
He'd missed his chance. They'd missed their chance.  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Changes Beyond My Grasp

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Jess sat on a bench in the town square. He had a book open in front of him, but all the words seemed to run together, as if the ink on the pages was still wet and it had rained.  
  
He sighed and looked up. Everything else looked normal. He looked back down and watched the words turn to liquid on the paper, running to the bottom of the page.  
  
"Great." He said, closing the book.  
  
"What's great?" Asked Rory, coming up behind him. "'The Spire'?" She asked, looking at the cover of his book.  
  
"I can't seem to read it." He smiled at her as she pushed Rhiannon's stroller around to the front of the bench and sat down.  
  
"That would be because it's illegible." She nodded. "Aren't you a little too advanced for that anyway?" She chuckled softly.  
  
"I could say the same to you." He smiled, pulling 'Winnie The Pooh' out of her bag.  
  
"That's Rhiannon's!" She said, taking it back.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Blame the one that can't talk!" He teased. "So, who's your favorite?"  
  
"Piglet." She smiled.  
  
"Piglet? The guy's a wuss!" He laughed.  
  
"He's cute!"  
  
"So… what are the Gilmore Girl's up to." He asked.  
  
"We were just going for a walk." She smiled, picking up a toy that Rhiannon had dropped. "Wanna' come?"  
  
"Sure. Apparently it's a better use of my time than this." He said, holding up his book.  
  
"I can definitely agree with that." She said, taking the book from him and dumping it in the trashcan next to the bench.  
  
"Hey!" He laughed.  
  
"Trust me, you're better off without it. We'll get you in a 12 step program… you'll be fine." She nodded, getting up and waiting for him to join her.  
  


*****

  
  
They sat on the bridge, it was late afternoon. Rhiannon was asleep in her stroller.  
  
"So, when does Adam get back?" Jess asked, tapping his hands lightly on the bridge.  
  
"Tomorrow." She smiled slightly. "He's bringing his parents." She groaned.  
  
"The in-laws, huh? Sounds fun."  
  
"Oh yeah. Like a trip to Disney Land." She rolled her eyes.  
  
"Not your favorite people?" He asked.  
  
"They're… not, no." She laughed. "They're just hard to get along with. They're so… up tight and conservative." She sighed.  
  
"I take it Adam isn't like that?"  
  
"Not really. A little, sometimes." She shrugged.  
  
"Do I get to meet him?" He asked quietly.  
  
"Do you want to?" She frowned, surprised he'd ask.  
  
"Sure." He looked up at her.  
  
"Well, we're having kind of a 'getting-to-know-you' rehearsal dinner thing tomorrow at my mom's Inn. It's just his family and mine. And some people who are involved in the wedding." She said. "Just something casual really."  
  
"Is that an invite?" He raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
"It is." She nodded and smiled slightly.  
  
"I'll be there." He smiled back.  
  
"Good." She looked at Rhiannon and then at the fading light on the lake. "I should get her home."  
  
"Ok." He said, standing up.  
  
"So… I'll see you tomorrow evening?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah." He nodded.  
  
"Bye." She waved and pushed Rhiannon's stroller to the other side of the bridge.  
  
Jess sat down again and let his legs dangle over the side of the bridge. He wondered how he was going to be polite to Adam. He hoped that the fact it was important to Rory would mean something.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. Nothings Ever Enough

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Lorelai and Sookie stood at the front desk, watching Adam, Rory and his parents as they 'inspected' the Inn.  
  
"They're thorough." Sighed Sookie.  
  
"They're ridiculously snobby." Muttered Lorelai.  
  
"Hey, I thought we had this covered!" Giggled Sookie.  
  
"Oh yeah. I love the Hamilton's, they are such refined people with impeccable taste." Said Lorelai in a posh accent.  
  
"Less with the mocking, you'll do just fine." Sookie giggled more and headed back to the kitchen.  
  
"Hey, so… what did you think?" She said, flashing them a fake smile as they made their way over to her.  
  
"It's…"  
  
"Quaint!" Offered Adam. His mother rolled her eyes slightly and smiled.  
  
"Yes. Very."  
  
"What about you Mr. Hamilton?" Smiled Lorelai. "How did you find it?"  
  
"Well… it's not exactly the Waldorf Astoria is it?" He said, giving her an equally fake smile.  
  
"Nope, no it's not." Laughed Lorelai uncomfortably.  
  
Rory cringed and looked at Lorelai. She was feeling really bad about how Adam's parents were treating everyone.  
  
"Uh… if you'd like to make your way to our dining room, our chef Sookie St. James has prepared you an amazing lunch." She said, motioning for them to move into the next room.  
  
Once they were gone, Rory turned to Lorelai.  
  
"I am so sorry." She sighed.  
  
"Are they always like that?" Asked Lorelai.  
  
"Pretty much. You should see the looks I got when I turned up for Christmas wearing this horrible Donna Karen thing that Adam swore they'd love."  
  
"Not good?"  
  
"Well, it's not exactly Versace is it?" Rory said, impersonating Adam's mother.  
  
"I hope they like your wedding dress!" Laughed Lorelai.  
  
"They won't. She wanted to call Vera Wang. But I didn't want Vera Wang." Rory rolled her eyes.  
  
Lorelai looked sympathetic.  
  
"You won't hear me utter these words again… but I wish they were more like my parents." Laughed Lorelai. "That, I could just about deal with."  
  
"Rory."  
  
Rory and Lorelai turned to see Adam sticking his head out of the dining room.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"My mother wants to talk to you about how you're doing your hair for tonight's dinner." He sighed.  
  
"I was just going to wear it down…" She started.  
  
"Wrong answer." He smiled apologetically and ducked back into the next room.  
  
"And it starts…" Sighed Rory, her shoulders slouched.  
  
Lorelai watched Rory walk into the dining room. She wished there was a way she could 'rescue' her, but she knew it was just something Rory was going to have to get used to.  
  
"Lore?"  
  
"Chris!" Lorelai smiled as she saw him come through the main entrance.  
  
"Wow! This place looks great! Last time I saw it, you were still decorating." He smiled, putting his bags on the floor and looking around.  
  
He was shocked by the large hug he was greeted with.  
  
"They're horrible, they're just horrible. They're going to devour her whole, and alive no less!" Cried Lorelai.  
  
"Who..?" He laughed.  
  
"The Hamilton's." Said Lorelai in a deep and threatening tone.  
  
"You're exaggerating." He smiled, imagining them being exactly like Emily and Richard.  
  
"No, I'm really not." She shook her head and pulled him over to the dining room. "Go say hi. I bet you don't last 5 minutes before you come out of there gasping for air." She said, pushing him in.  
  
A very tired and unshaven Chris stumbled into the dining room, still in his leather jacket and jeans.  
  
"Uh… Hi." He laughed.  
  
"Dad!" Smiled Rory, getting up an hugging him.  
  
"That's the father?" Adam's mother said quietly. "I thought the man in the flannel shirt was the father."  
  
"No, mom. That's Lorelai's husband. But he's not Rory's father." Sighed Adam.  
  
"Oh." His parents looked at one another with disapproval.  
  
"Dad… I'd like you to meet Adam Hamilton." She smiled as Adam and Chris shook hands.  
  
"And these are my parents, William and Patricia Hamilton." Said Adam.  
  
Chris offered his hand but neither of them took it. They simply nodded their heads in recognition of who he was.  
  
"Uh… Rory." Said Chris, looking at his daughter. "Your mother needs you in the kitchen for a moment." He lied and she smiled gratefully.  
  
"Oh, ok, well…. If she needs me." Said Rory, excusing herself and following Chris out of the dining room.  
  
"Ha! 3 minutes!" Laughed Lorelai triumphantly when she saw Chris.  
  
Rory flopped across the front desk, resting her cheek against the cold polished wood.  
  
"Can I stay here?" She mock cried.  
  
"Awww, baby." Lorelai said, stroking her hair gently.  
  
"They are going to be our in-laws?" Asked Chris.  
  
"Yeah. We're special." Nodded Lorelai.  
  
"Not special enough, apparently." Said Chris. "They refused to shake my hand!"  
  
"You got cooties." Giggled Lorelai like a child.  
  
"And they just loved you, right?" He asked.  
  
"No, not really." She laughed more and Rory and Chris couldn't help but join in.  
  
They looked at each other, and laughed more.  
  
"They hate us all." Said Lorelai.  
  
"They hate you more than anyone." Said Chris laughing harder and causing Rory to start crying because she was laughing so hard.  
  
"It's so sad." She laughed, grabbing Lorelai's arm to steady herself.  
  
"Tragic." Said Lorelai, hugging Rory.  
  
"Something wrong?" Asked Adam, joining them.  
  
"Oh, no." Said Rory, straightening her hair and calming down.  
  
"Dirty joke." Snickered Lorelai, causing Chris to start laughing all over again.  
  
Rory hit them both and reluctantly followed Adam back to her own personal hell.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Rescue Me

A/N: Someone asked how Rhiannon was pronounced. It's Welsh, and it's pronounced REE-ann-en.

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

"Oh… honey… what happened?" Asked Lorelai.  
  
"I don't know, but it hurt." Moaned Rory, gingerly touching the tight curls that were pinned to the back of her head.  
  
"It looks like it did." Said Lorelai.  
  
"Just go ahead and laugh, I know you're dying to."  
  
"I can… really?"  
  
"Yes, get it over with." Sighed Rory, motioning for Lorelai to begin laughing. She did.  
  
"Rory… what happened to your head?" Asked Luke, making Lorelai laugh harder.  
  
"Patricia Hamilton." She said.  
  
"Does she not like you?" He frowned.  
  
"Apparently not." She pouted.  
  
"The dress is great though." Said Lorelai, calming herself down.  
  
"The dress is hideous."  
  
"You're right. It is."  
  
"Luke!" Laughed Lorelai.  
  
"What? I was just agreeing." He said defensively.  
  
"Uh oh… my parents are here." Sighed Lorelai as Richard and Emily entered the Inn.  
  
Emily and Richard made their way over to them.  
  
"Lorelai." Smiled Emily.  
  
"Mom." She smiled back.  
  
"Hello Rory." Said Richard, hugging his granddaughter.  
  
"Hey grandpa."  
  
"You look lovely!" Said Emily. Lorelai laughed again. "What?"  
  
"Nothing… it's just that… you meant it." She laughed more.  
  
"Of course I did. She looks wonderful!" Stated Emily, causing even Luke to laugh.  
  
"So, where are the Hamilton's?" Asked Richard, looking around.  
  
"They were still getting ready." Said Rory. "They'll be down soon."  
  
"Adam too?" Asked Lorelai.  
  
"Yeah." Nodded Rory.  
  
"Mom, dad… look, it's Christopher." Said Lorelai, pointing across the lobby.  
  
"Oh, wonderful." Smiled Emily. "Christopher!" She called out and waved to him.  
  
Richard followed her over to him.  
  
"More people are arriving." Luke said, nodding over to the door as Miss Patty came in, followed By Morey and Babette.  
  
"Hey guys!" Smiled Lorelai, glad to see some less stern and more friendly faces.  
  
"Hey Darl." Smiled Babette. "Taylor's just coming in. Jackson almost ran him over." She laughed.  
  
"Missed again?" Luke said, a hint of disappointment in his voice.  
  
"He's getting closer." Joked Miss Patty.  
  
"Come on into the dining room!" Smiled Lorelai, guiding them away from the door.  
  
Rory sighed and looked down at her dress.  
  
"My, my. Aren't we pretty this evening."  
  
She looked up at Jess and glared at him.  
  
"You realize you just used up your only joke for the evening." She said pointedly.  
  
"Really… cos I didn't see the hair…" He smiled.  
  
"Shut up." She groaned, touching her hair.  
  
"I'm sorry, it looks great, really." He nodded.  
  
"Liar." She smiled.  
  
She looked over at the stairs and saw her in-laws coming down.  
  
"Argh!" She grabbed Jess by the sleeve and practically dove inside the nearest doorway.  
  
"What?" He laughed, peering out into the lobby. She peered over his shoulder.  
  
"See the woman in the powder blue suit. Looks like she's going to ascot or something?" She sighed.  
  
"The one who looks like she's getting colonic irrigation as we speak?" He smiled.  
  
"Yes. That's my future mother in law." She whispered.  
  
"Nice."  
  
"Yeah, and the man with her, the one standing right beneath the no smoking sign with a cigar in his mouth? That's my future father in law."  
  
"Lucky you." He laughed softly. "And we're hiding because?"  
  
"I don't like them." She laughed, pulling him back into the room before anyone saw them.  
  
"I can see why." He said, looking her up and down and trying not to laugh.  
  
"I need a drink." She muttered, grudgingly walking out of the room.  
  
Jess smiled and shook his head and then followed her.  
  
"Rory, there you are..." Smiled Adam, hurrying over and kissing her gently. 

Jess looked away uncomfortably.

"Adam, hey. Um... yeah I was just..."

"Hiding?" He smirked knowingly.

"Something like that." She blushed. "Anyway... I want you to meet Jess."

"Hi. I'm Adam Hamilton." He nodded, holding out his hand.

"Jess Mariano." Jess responded, shaking Adam's hand firmly and quickly.

"I've heard a lot about you." Adam smiled.

"Oh really?" Jess asked, glancing at Rory.

"Don't worry, I was kind." Rory teased. "I left out all the unflattering stuff."

"And yet he's still heard a lot about me?" Jess smiled faintly at her.

"Adam!" 

The three of them turned to see Patricia looking annoyed.

"Be right there." Adam called back to her. "I'd better go see what's going on. I'm sure it's something small. Wine from the wrong year, cheese from the wrong country." He sighed, kissing Rory on the cheek.

"Minions from the wrong hell dimension." Rory muttered as he hurried off.

"So... that's Adam." Jess asked quietly.

"That's Adam." She nodded. "Does he get your approval."

"He seems... nice."

"He is nice." Rory pointed out. "He cares about me a lot."

"And you care about him a lot."

"I do."

"You do?"

"I do."

"You do?"

"What are you doing?" She chuckled.

"Helping you practice your 'I do' thing." He smiled.

Rory rolled her eyes, linked her arm with his and carried on in search of the drink she was so desperately in need of.

*****

  
  
Dinner was over, and everyone was sitting around in the lobby talking.  
  
Richard, William, Christopher and Adam were talking business, surrounded by a cloud of cigar smoke that Lorelai had given up on trying to stop.  
  
Lorelai sat and nodded mechanically as she listened to Emily and Patricia drone on and on about the rigors of planning social events.  
  
Luke and Taylor were arguing about anything and everything they could think of while Kirk listened and added fuel to the fire whenever he could. He wasn't taking anyone's side, but when a point needed to be made, he was only too happy to make it.  
  
Patty, Babette and Morey were in the corner. Morey was playing the piano and Babette was singing.  
  
Rory was slouched in an arm chair watching. She'd had a little too much to drink and didn't think she could stand any more criticism from Patricia.  
  
One of the waiters walked past and offered her a drink. She took it eagerly. Before she could put the glass to her lips, someone snatched it away.  
  
"I think you've had enough." Jess smiled, crouching beside her chair.  
  
"I think I need one more." She said, reaching out for the drink, but Jess held it away from her.  
  
"You're a little past drunk right now. What you think isn't being taken into consideration."  
  
Rory looked up when she heard Patricia's voice getting louder. She was telling Lorelai off for something, probably for making a joke about something as important as the DAR. She shook her head and almost started crying.  
  
Jess looked from Rory's face to Patricia and Lorelai debating something and then back at Rory.  
  
"Get me out of here." She said quietly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can't take anymore of her. Get me out of here." She said, pushing herself out of the chair and almost falling over.  
  
Jess looked around to make sure everyone else was too busy doing something else to care about them. He put his arm around her waist and lifted her other arm over his shoulder, helping her quietly over to the kitchen door and then out through the staff entrance.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Drowing in Shallow Water

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Jess gently sat Rory down on the bridge, making sure she could stay upright before sitting beside her.  
  
She reached up to the back of her head and started tearing out the small hairpins that were holding her hair in place. As she got them free of her hair she threw them out into the water.  
  
"You're gonna' hurt yourself." He said, watching her. She either couldn't feel it or didn't care, because she continued until her hair was loose and hung around her face.  
  
She started to cry.  
  
"I hate them." She sniffed, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.  
  
Jess just listened. He got the feeling that she didn't need or want him to say anything.  
  
"She thinks she's so perfect. And she definitely thinks I'm not good enough." She sighed, her cheeks damp despite her halfhearted attempts to dry them.  
  
She shook her head slightly and looked out at the water.  
  
"They want to turn me into some little trophy wife. Someone who'll go to afternoon tea and play tennis with the Jefferson twins on Sunday morning." She said, putting on a high pitched posh voice and waving her hands around loosely to demonstrate how the person she was supposed to be didn't have a care in the world.  
  
He smiled softly and took a deep breath.  
  
"The Jefferson twins are bitches." She sighed, forgetting the big picture for a moment. "Sandy wants to marry Adam, and Patricia wants her to marry Adam."  
  
"But Adam wants to marry you." Jess said quietly.  
  
"Yeah. And boy did that piss mommy off." She shook her head and laughed slightly through her tears. "I don't know how to be who they expect me to be."  
  
"That's because you're not that person."  
  
"I need to be." She rolled her eyes. "At least sometimes."  
  
They both sat and looked out at the water quietly.  
  
"So, what did you think of Adam?" She asked, looking at him.  
  
"I thought he was… very… corporate?" He sighed. "I dunno. He reminded me of Dean."  
  
"So you hated him?" She said, smiling slightly.  
  
"I just… don't think he's your type." He shrugged.  
  
"He is though. He is like Dean, and he's like the guys I dated at Yale. All 3 of them." She laughed softly. "He is my type."  
  
"Define your type."  
  
"Not you." She laughed again.  
  
"Ouch." He said, a slight laugh escaping his lips even though he didn't find it funny.  
  
"I don't mean it like that." She sighed, looking him in the eyes.  
  
"Then how do you mean it?" He frowned.  
  
"I mean… you were the exception." She said, looking down at her hands. "You were different…"  
  
"I was the only one stupid enough to leave you?" He offered quietly.  
  
"I didn't say that."  
  
"I know. I did." He said seriously, holding her stare for a moment.  
  
Rory blushed slightly and looked away.  
  
"You can't say things like that to me anymore. I'm engaged."  
  
"It's only words." He smiled slightly playfully.  
  
"And words are all I have, to take your heart away." She sang in a rather off tune voice.  
  
"You're so drunk right now." He laughed gently.  
  
She nodded and laughed softly.  
  
"Come on, I should get you back before they notice you're missing." He sighed and stood up, helping her to her feet slowly.  
  
Rory gripped his arms to steady herself, she felt light headed. She looked up at him and smiled.  
  
"What?" He asked quietly.  
  
She looked confused for a moment, and then she kissed him.  
  
Part of him wanted to kiss her back, but a bigger part of him knew she was drunk. After the shock wore off, he pulled back slightly. Her head fell against his shoulder and she let it rest there.  
  
He sighed and put his arms around her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. Problem Solving

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Rory rolled over in bed and moaned. It was too early for it to be so bright. She didn't know what time it was, but her head was pounding and her eyes refused to open, which told her it was too early to be waking up.  
  
"Rory, honey. Come on…"  
  
She opened her eyes and saw Lorelai peering at her.  
  
"Go away, I'm sleeping." She mumbled, rolling over to face away from Lorelai.  
  
"Not any more you're not." Lorelai smiled. "Come on, we have stuff to do today!"  
  
"Not yet." Protested Rory as Lorelai pulled the sheets off of her.  
  
"Maybe this will teach you to 'Just Say No' next time someone offers you a drink?" Lorelai teased.  
  
Rory buried her face in her pillow.  
  
"Come on. Don't make me sing!"  
  
Lorelai held her arms up to avoid being hit with the pillow.  
  
"Now is that any way to treat your mother?"  
  
"Is this any way to treat your daughter?" She sighed. "I'm dying here."  
  
"I know. But that doesn't change the fact that we have things to do. And since you're the one getting married, it's only fair that you join in!" She smiled.  
  
"I changed my mind. Wedding's off."  
  
"What?" Lorelai frowned.  
  
"I'm not getting up. Postpone the wedding until I am no longer hung-over!"  
  
Lorelai breathed a sigh or relief and rolled her eyes at Rory. She grabbed her by the arm and pulled her off of the bed.  
  
Rory landed in a heap on the floor.  
  
"Lordy! How much did you drink last night. It must have been a lot, because I didn't raise no light weight!" Said Lorelai, prodding Rory with her foot.  
  
"I stopped counting after my 4th Martini. That's when the white wine came out." She groaned.  
  
"You little alcoholic you! No wonder Jess had to carry you back in doors."  
  
Rory rolled over and frowned at Lorelai.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yeah… he said he went outside and found you sitting on the porch swing. Then you pretty much passed out and he carried you back inside." She said as Rory propped herself up on her elbows, remembering what really happened the night before.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Yeah, oh." Laughed Lorelai, helping Rory back onto the bed.  
  
"I just… I was…"  
  
"Trying to escape the in-laws?" Asked Lorelai sympathetically.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Understandable, they're wretched people." She smiled. "But I don't think you went about it the right way. Now they think you're white trash." She teased.  
  
"Goody." Rory yawned.  
  
"Ok, get your bride-to-be butt in the shower. I'll get Sookie to make you some breakfast. I'll see you downstairs in 20 minutes." She commanded, getting up and leaving Rory alone with her thoughts.  
  
The phone in her room rang and she picked it up quickly, not wanting to let the shooting pain in her head get any worse.  
  
"Hello?" She sighed.  
  
"Hey, it's Jess."  
  
She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip. Then she hung up the phone.  
  
It rang again. She sighed, picked it up and put it down without saying anything. Then she called down to the front desk and asked that no calls be put through to her room.  
  


*****

  
  
Lorelai and Rory walked into the church just off of the town square.  
  
"Oooh… Pretty." Smiled Lorelai, watching as the last of the flowers were set up.  
  
"It is pretty." Smiled Rory, running her fingertips over the flower petals at the end of the aisle.  
  
"Lets hope no one has allergies."  
  
"Lets hope they do and that it's Patricia Hamilton." Said Rory bitterly.  
  
"That's my girl!" Grinned Lorelai, putting an arm around Rory. "After all these years of watching me deal with my mom, you should have plenty of ideas on how to handle Adam's."  
  
They stayed there for a while, making sure everything was ready for the wedding the next day, and then they decided to head back to the Inn.  
  
When they got there Jess was waiting in the lobby.  
  
"Uh… mom. Did you still want to see my dress?"  
  
"Of course!" Laughed Lorelai.  
  
"Ok. Well, I'll go put it on. Can you tell Jess I'll call him later?" She said.  
  
"I…" Lorelai looked over at Jess, and Rory was gone by the time she turned back to answer her.  
  
She walked over to Jess who was sitting in an armchair waiting.  
  
"Hey." She smiled slightly.  
  
"Hi." He said, turning to face her.  
  
"Rory's kinda busy… big day tomorrow and everything, but she said she'll call you later." Lorelai nodded.  
  
"Uh… ok." He sighed, doubtful that she would call.  
  
"Ok. Well… I'll see you tomorrow I guess." Said Lorelai casually. "You're coming tomorrow, right?"  
  
"Yeah… Luke R.S.V.P'd for me so, I kinda have to." He smiled slightly and got up to leave.  
  
"Ok." Lorelai nodded, watching him leave.  
  
She knew something wasn't right, and she was determined to find out what. She headed upstairs to Rory's room and knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in." Said Rory.  
  
"Oh. Look at you!" Said Lorelai, tears coming to her eyes.  
  
"It looks better with the top done up properly." Rory half smiled. "Can you…?"  
  
"Sure." Lorelai nodded, doing up the buttons on the back of the corset.  
  
"Did you tell Jess?" Rory asked uncomfortably.  
  
"Yeah." Lorelai used the mirror in front of them to look Rory in the eyes. "Something happen between you two?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Rory asked.  
  
"Nothing… I just… wondered if maybe you two had a fight or something."  
  
"No." Rory let out a small laughed. "We didn't have a fight."  
  
"So why are you avoiding him?" Lorelai asked gently.  
  
"I'm not."  
  
"Yeah you are. I'm the queen of avoidance. I used to do it professionally. I can spot it a mile away." Said Lorelai.  
  
Rory sighed and sat on the bed. She started to cry.  
  
"Oh… what did I say?" Asked Lorelai, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her.  
  
"Nothing. I just…." Rory took a deep breath and tried to stop crying. "I didn't know he was back in town until I got here." She said.  
  
"I know. I tried to tell you but you kind of escaped me before I got the chance. I didn't want to just blurt it out." Sighed Lorelai.  
  
"It's ok. I just… we've spent some time together the last few days." Said Rory, fresh tears coming to her eyes. "And last night… I kissed him."  
  
"Oh…" Lorelai didn't know what to do with that information.  
  
"I was drunk." Rory said, trying to explain herself. "And he knew that… so he didn't kiss me back."  
  
"Good." Nodded Lorelai.  
  
"But now… I feel…"  
  
"Do you still have feelings for him?" Lorelai asked gently.  
  
"No. Maybe… I don't… I don't know." Sighed Rory.  
  
"It's normal. I mean… you and Jess didn't exactly get a chance to say goodbye. It wasn't like you got any kind of closure… he just left." Said Lorelai. "Maybe if you two had some kind of closure…"  
  
"How?" Asked Rory, wiping her eyes.  
  
"I don't know. Just… talking. Deciding between the two of you that it's definitely over."  
  
Rory nodded, listening. Maybe Lorelai had a point.  
  
"But… if it's not over, you have to know that there is no shame in calling off this wedding." Said Lorelai, tucking some of Rory's hair behind her ear.  
  
"Easy for you to say, you've done that before." Rory giggled slightly.  
  
"Yeah. It wasn't right between Max and I. I had to call it off. And you have to call off this wedding if you have any doubts about Adam. Forget his awful family and everyone else. If he isn't the one you want to be with, then you need to think about saying something." Lorelai said softly.  
  
"Ok." Rory nodded.  
  
"Ok. I'll leave you alone for a while." Lorelai said, kissing her on the cheek and leaving.  
  
Rory looked over at the mirror, and stared at her reflection. Lorelai had given her the problem she needed to solve. Now she just had to figure out the answer.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. And That, My Friend, is What They Call C...

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Rory watched Luke and Lorelai lock up the diner. It was earlier than usual, because of the wedding the next day. Lorelai carried Rhiannon with one arm, Rory loved how Rea fit perfectly on Lorelai's hip, like she had when she was a child. Lorelai could just perch her there and hold her with one hand, it seemed to come naturally to her.  
  
Luke and Lorelai headed home, laughing and kissing every so often. She smiled at them.  
  
There was a light on in the windows above the diner. She made her way across the street and around to the back of the building. She knocked on the back door and waited.  
  
A light came on in the hallway and she could see through the textured glass that Jess was coming down the stairs.  
  
He opened the door and frowned at her.  
  
"Hi." He said after a minute.  
  
"Hey." She smiled slightly. "Can I come in?"  
  
"Sure." He opened the door further and watched her step past him.  
  
"I'm sorry about today." She sighed.  
  
"Yeah… it was… odd." He said. She could tell he was a little hurt, he was trying to hide it but she knew him too well.  
  
"I didn't know what to say to you." She said, tucking some hair behind her ear.  
  
"Hello would have been a start." He smiled as he started to climb the stairs back to the apartment. She followed.  
  
"I just… after last night…" She blushed, stepping into the apartment and looking around.  
  
"Nothing happened. You were drunk. You probably thought I was Adam or something." He sighed, clearing some magazines off of the couch and offering her a seat. She accepted it, and sat with her hands in her lap.  
  
"I knew it was you." She looked down at her hands. "I was drunk. But not drunk enough to confuse you with anyone else." She said, giving him a half smile. He returned it.  
  
"Were you sober enough for it to mean anything?" He asked hesitantly.  
  
"That's why I'm here. To find out."  
  
"How do you plan to do that?" He smiled.  
  
"Talking." She nodded.  
  
"I know we're both capable of that." He said, turning to face her.  
  
"I hope so. Because it's the only thing I can think of that will help figure all this out."  
  
"Ok. Well… since you're more prepared for this, why don't you start."  
  
"Uh… ok." She took a deep breath and looked at him. "Did the kiss mean anything to you?"  
  
"No..." He said sincerely.  
  
"Oh." She blushed. "Then I guess that makes things a little different." She said, standing up to leave. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.  
  
"You didn't let me finish." He said softly. "It didn't mean anything, because I thought you were drunk and I didn't think it meant anything to you."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"But you weren't as drunk as I thought." He smiled slightly.  
  
"No." She shook her head very faintly.  
  
"And… it did mean something to you?" He asked, trying not to get his hopes up.  
  
"I think so."  
  
He looked down at the floor and laughed softly.  
  
"What?" She frowned.  
  
"Did you come here so I could tell you how you feel?" He asked.  
  
"I… no. Not exactly." She blushed again.  
  
"Because… you know I can't." He sighed. "That's… all you." He sat back a little.  
  
"Yeah. I know." She said. "I just wish I knew what to do. My mom thinks… we need closure."  
  
"Closure?" He nodded.  
  
"Yeah… that we need to kind of… tie up all the loose ends that were kind of just… left undone when you went away."  
  
"Ah." He nodded again. "That kind of closure. Ok… so… loose end number one?"  
  
She looked thoughtful for a while.  
  
"Do you still… love me?" She asked.  
  
"Yes." He smiled softly.  
  
"Do you still think there's something between us?"  
  
"I hope so." He said, and then looked away. "But that's kinda' selfish because if there is… that just makes things harder on you."  
  
"Yeah." She sighed.  
  
"Do you still love me?" He asked.  
  
She looked at him and nodded. He smiled.  
  
"Do you think there's something between us?"  
  
She kissed him.  
  
He kissed her back, running one hand through her hair and running the other around her waist to her back, holding her against him.  
  
She let her body relax and found herself slowly laying back on the couch, letting him rest his body against hers.  
  
He pulled out of the kiss and looked at her for a minute. He was giving her a look she knew well. She'd only seen it a handful of times, years ago, but it was engraved in her memory.  
  
She pulled him to her and kissed him again, snaking her hands down his back to the edge of his shirt and pulling it off over his head.  
  
She had her answer.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	14. Reasons Why

A/N: Thanks so much for all the great reviews! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I'm considering renaming the story since I think the title is putting some people off. hehe.

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Rory got up and started getting dressed.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"I have to tell Adam that I can't marry him." She said, pulling her hair out from under the collar of her sweater.  
  
Jess looked thoughtful for a minute. He sat up.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Are you kidding me?" She smiled at him. "I just slept with my ex-boyfriend. I'd say that constitutes reasonable doubt about getting married!"  
  
"Rory… I can't be the reason." He sighed.  
  
"What are you talking about." She frowned, sitting on the bed next to him.  
  
"I can't be the reason you don't marry Adam." He said regretfully.  
  
"Why… I mean… you already are the reason."  
  
He looked down at the sheets and then up at her.  
  
"I cannot promise you anything. I can't promise that I'm not going to screw up all over again. I want to promise you that, but I can't."  
  
She shook her head and closed her eyes.  
  
"Let me get this straight…" She took a deep breath. "You sleep with me… and now you're telling me that if I can't think of another reason not to marry Adam… then you think I should go through with it?!"  
  
"I don't want you to." He said sadly. "But I don't want you to give up the security you have with Adam, for me."  
  
"Why? I've done it before!" She said, getting upset and frustrated.  
  
"Yeah, and I screwed up!"  
  
She got up and grabbed her jacket.  
  
"Then don't do it again!" She almost shouted.  
  
"I don't want to, but that doesn't mean I won't. I didn't want to last time!"  
  
"I don't believe this." She cried, backing away from him.  
  
"Rory…"  
  
"Forget it. I shouldn't have come here tonight." She sighed, opening the door.  
  
"Rory, wait a minute…" Jess started, clutching the sheets at his waist and getting off of the bed.  
  
"Bye Jess." She said, slamming the door behind her and running down the stairs.  
  


*****

  
  
Luke opened the door and started to smile at Rory, until he noticed she was crying.  
  
"Hey." She sniffed. "Is mom here?"  
  
"Sure, come on in." he said, holding the door open for her.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Lorelai, Rory's here." He called up the stairs.  
  
Lorelai hurried downstairs, carrying Rhiannon.  
  
"Ok… can you give her a bath and put her to bed." She said quietly to Luke.  
  
He took Rhiannon and nodded, heading back upstairs. Lorelai guided Rory over to the couch and they sat down.  
  
"Ok, tell me what happened." Lorelai said gently.  
  
"I did what you said. I went to talk to Jess about… everything." Said Rory, starting to cry more.  
  
"Oh… did it end badly?" She sighed.  
  
"Yeah." Rory nodded.  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"That he still loves me."  
  
"Yeah… I can see how that would be bad." Nodded Lorelai.  
  
"It wasn't that." Rory shook her head and looked at her hands.  
  
"Then what was it?"  
  
"I... we slept together." Wept Rory, not able to look at Lorelai.  
  
"Oh god." Lorelai cringed.  
  
"And then… he said that he couldn't be the reason that I didn't marry Adam. That if he was the only reason then I should go through with the wedding!" She said, hoping Lorelai would understand how crazy that was.  
  
"Uh huh…" Lorelai handed Rory a tissue.  
  
"That's insane, right?" Asked Rory, dabbing her eyes with the tissue.  
  
"Not.. completely." Sighed Lorelai. "I mean… You two are probably always going to love each other." Lorelai shook her head slightly. "I still love your dad."  
  
"So why did you marry Luke?"  
  
"Because I'm always going to love Chris, but it's never going to last between us. And I love Luke so much… and what we have…" She looked over at the stairs. "It's gonna' last." She smiled softly.  
  
Rory looked at Lorelai.  
  
"So… you're saying that if I love Adam… and I believe that we have something that will last… then I should marry him. Even if I still love Jess?" Rory asked, her crying slowly coming to an end.  
  
"If you still really want to marry him, I think you should."  
  
"Because… my feelings for Jess are never going to go away… but it's never going to work between us?" Rory said, more to herself than to Lorelai.  
  
Lorelai just nodded and watched Rory thinking it all over.  
  
  
  


  
A/N: *runs and hides from the angry Lits*   
  
  
  
  



	15. Let The Games Begin

A/N: Advanced warning - I'm renaming this fic once it's complete.

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Luke pushed Jess towards the stairs and threw a suit jacket at him.  
  
"Put it on and shut up." He said, shutting the apartment door behind him.  
  
"I'm telling you, she won't want me there." Sighed Jess, pulling the jacket on reluctantly.  
  
"Well, I told Sookie that you would be there, and she's making you one of those personalized appetizer things." Said Luke.  
  
"Why?" Frowned Jess.  
  
"Because Sookie's a nice person. Or maybe it's because she's insane. Either way, you're going!"  
  
"Fine." Muttered Jess, following Luke down the stairs.  
  


*****

  
  
"Is everyone here?" Asked Rory as Emily put her veil on.  
  
"I think so." Emily smiled proudly. "Your mother just sent that husband of hers off to find someone."  
  
"Luke." Rory smiled.  
  
"What?" Emily frowned.  
  
"That's his name. Mom's husband is called Luke."  
  
"Oh yes." Emily rolled her eyes and fussed with the veil for a while until Lorelai came in.  
  
"Mom… dad just started with the shop talk." She said.  
  
"I told him not to do that today." She said, flustered as she headed off to find him.  
  
"You look beautiful." Lorelai said to Rory.  
  
"Thanks." Rory smiled and turned away from the mirror.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Rory gave a little shrug. "A little nervous."  
  
"That's totally normal."  
  
"I know, that's why I'm not worried."  
  
"Good." Lorelai smiled.  
  
"Is dad ready to walk me down the aisle." She asked hopefully.  
  
"He's practicing with Miss Patty as we speak."  
  
"I knew she couldn't keep her hands off of him." Giggled Rory.  
  
"So, you're ready?" Lorelai asked. "I think I'm more nervous than you!" She laughed slightly, placing her hand on her stomach. It was doing backflips.  
  
"Doubtful." Rory smiled. "But yeah… I'm ready." She nodded.  
  
"Ok then… let's get out there and show everyone how gorgeous you are." She smiled, taking Rory's hand.  
  
They walked outside and waited for Chris to make his way back up the aisle.  
  
"Hey." He smiled at Rory. "You look amazing sweetie." He sighed, kissing her on the cheek.  
  
"Thanks dad."  
  
Miss Patty blew Rory a little kiss and waved, hurrying inside with Lorelai to find her seat.  
  
"Ok. Let the games begin." He Said, taking Rory's hand and placing it on his arm lightly.  
  
They started walking down the aisle as a string quartet played in the background.  
Adam smiled at Rory and she smiled back. Everyone on the bride's side of the church ooh'd and ahh'd at how she looked. Everyone on the groom's side watched, with semi sincere smiles plastered all over their faces.  
  
Taylor came from the back of the church dressed in a white ministers robe.  
  
"What the hell is he doing?!" Luke whispered to Lorelai. She turned to him and smirked.  
  
"We got him ordained on the Internet." She said.  
  
"You have got to be kidding me." Sighed Luke quietly, shaking his head in disbelief. "So now he thinks he's God's right hand man? This is just great!"  
  
"Shhhh!"  
  
Lorelai and Luke turned around to see Kirk glaring at them. They looked at each other and laughed softly.  
  
Rory and Chris reached the alter. Rory stepped forward to meet Adam and Chris took a few steps to the side.  
  
Taylor cleared his throat.  
  
Emily started crying.  
  
Jess looked away, wishing he could be anywhere else in the world at that moment.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	16. A Wedding To Remember

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

"We are gathered here today in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together Adam and Rory in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God, since the first man and the first woman walked on the earth. Therefore; it is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and soberly." Taylor said proudly, holding a bible out in front of him for effect.  
  
Rory and Adam looked at one another and smiled slightly.  
  
Jess closed his eyes and tried to breathe properly, suddenly finding that it wasn't as easy as it usually was. Lorelai glanced over at him and frowned.  
  
"Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined." Taylor continued.  
  
Jess bit his lip and closed his eyes.  
  
"Luke… I have to leave…" He whispered.  
  
"You move and I'll break your legs." Luke muttered, barely moving his lips.  
  
Jess ran his hand through his hair and slumped back against the hard wooden pew. He gripped the edges of it and closed his eyes again, wishing he could cover his ears and not have Luke take violent action.  
  
"If anyone can show any just cause or reason why these two should not be joined in matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."  
  
There was silence in the church. Everyone looked at the people sitting on either side of them, and even Adam and Rory glanced back at their families and friends to make sure no one was going to say anything. Rory and Jess looked at each other briefly, and then he looked back down at the floor.  
  
"I object…"

Everyone, including Jess, turned to look at the person who had spoken.

"Or… something." Said Lorelai, her hand raised.  
  
Luke tried to make her put it back down but she just swatted him away with her other hand.  
  
"Uh…" Taylor flipped through his bible as if it were a script.  
  
A ripple of murmurs ran through the church and it slowly got louder.  
  
"Lorelai, what on earth are you doing?" Demanded Emily.  
  
"I'm speaking now, 'cos I don't think I could've forever held my peace?" Lorelai cringed, standing up slowly.  
  
Taylor looked flustered as he searched the room for some explanation.  
  
"I object too." Said Rory quietly.  
  
"Of course you do." Sighed Taylor, dropping his bible to his side.  
  
"Me too." Said Jess, standing up and smiling at Rory softly, she smiled back.  
  
"I don't think you people understand how this works!" Said Taylor. "You haven't even stated your reason yet!" He said, waving his bible at Lorelai.  
  
"Rory… what's going on?" Asked Adam, shaking his head in confusion.  
  
Everyone else was too busy conferring with the person beside them to hear what Adam and Rory were saying.  
  
"I'm sorry Adam… I can't marry you." She said, a tear running down her cheek.  
  
"I don't understand." He sighed.  
  
"I'm in love with Jess." She said, turning and nodding in Jess's direction.  
  
"Oh." He looked hurt and turned his face away from her.  
  
"I'm so sorry. I do love you. But… I just can't marry you." She said gently.  
  
"I know." He nodded looking her in the eyes and smiling faintly. 

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok... I think I understand." He sighed and nodded solemnly.  
  
"This is an outrage!" Shouted Patricia, looking at Lorelai.  
  
"Ah, pipe down." Luke shouted back at her.  
  
"Now this is a wedding if ever I saw one." Grinned Babette.  
  
"I'll say!" Smiled Miss Patty, enjoying the show.  
  
The crowd erupted into another session of murmuring, interspersed with some shouting and name calling. People started to stand up and move around the room, trying to find out what was going on. Taylor grabbed a chair and sat down rolling his eyes at how disorganized it all was.  
  
Rory kissed Adam on the cheek and slipped out of a side door, unnoticed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	17. It’s Cathartic, I Hear

A/N: Ok, here's the end of this particular story. Sorry it took so long to post. I was going to re-write it. I am so bad with endings. But I just don't know how to change it to make it any better. Sorry if it sucks.

Thanks for all the great reviews throughout this story though. It really means a lot that people like my writing. I'll hopefully be starting on a new story soon. Hopefully.

** Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Gilmore Girls. If I were that all powerful then Jess would be staying put! So, in summation... Please don't sue me!**

Jess walked to the middle of the bridge and sat down, looking out at the sun on the water. He looked around him. It looked just the way it had the first time he and Rory had been there together.  
  
"So… that was quite a show." He smiled softly.  
  
"Yeah… I think we should have charged an admission fee." Rory chuckled.  
  
Jess looked at her, sitting beside him in her wedding dress.  
  
"I'm sorry it didn't work out." He said sincerely.  
  
"I'm not." She sighed, looking him in the eyes. "Besides, who says it didn't work out?"  
  
"Good point." He smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry I couldn't think of another reason." She said. "But technically… It was my mom who called off the wedding."  
  
"Well… I guess I'll have to let it go then. Technically." He nudged her playfully with his shoulder.  
  
They sat in silence for a while.  
  
"Do you want cookies?" She asked. "I want cookies."  
  
"Any kind in particular." He asked, with a knowing smile.  
  
"I'll drive." She said, getting up slowly, making sure she didn't trip on her dress.  
  
"You cannot drive in that dress." He laughed, getting up and walking across the bridge. "It's pretty, but not practical."  
  
"Oh yeah?" She smiled.  
  
"Yeah." He looked at her. "Why are you grinning like that?" He frowned.  
  
She shrugged. She reached her hand out to the side and pushed him. Jess fell off of the bridge and into the water.  
  
"Ooops." She grinned, trying to look innocent.  
  
He shook his hair trying to get the water out, pushing it out of his face with his hand. He smiled at her.  
  
"Ooops?" He asked, wading through the water and looking up at her.  
  
"My hand slipped… outwards…" She said, demonstrating.  
  
"Oh yeah?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He reached up and grabbed the bottom of her dress, pulling her forwards. She fell off of the bridge and he caught her.  
  
"Oh my god! I can't believe you just did that. Jessica Mcclintock is going to be so angry with you!" She laughed, looking down at her dress.  
  
"Ooops?" He offered with an innocent smile.  
  
"Ooops." She nodded in agreement. Calling a truce.   
  
She kissed him. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
